On Thursday (12-31-15) John R. Barrick, Sharon, age 77, began his journey into eternal life. John loved his family, his work as a metallurgical engineer and living life large! He had a passion for golf, cars, hockey and football. He was a husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, cousin and friend. John was an entrepreneur in the steel industry.  Anyone who knew him well knew he was brilliant in his work, and some even described John as a maverick and innovator with extraordinary drive and determination.

John was born on April 16, 1938 in Welland, Ontario, Canada and raised in Wainfleet until he left for school in Kingston, Ontario to attend Queen's University. John graduated with honors having earned a Metallurgical Engineering degree in 1960 followed by the completion of his Masters.

John found it difficult to focus on his undergrad studies without his high school sweetheart by his side so in 1959 they married and Donna May (Easterbrook) Barrick became his wife and joined him in Kingston.

Upon graduation he set off to begin his career and was initially recruited to work for Atlas Steel in Welland, Ontario. By this time their family of two had grown to five with the addition of three children, Debra, Diane and Scott. John had great aspirations for his career and life and decided to move the family to the United States when an opportunity arose with Latrobe Steel in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.  That was the beginning of an extraordinary career in metallurgy that ultimately brought him and his family to Greenville, Pennsylvania. John launched the Pyromet group of companies in the late 1970s. After a successful career, John and Donna retired to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina for a number of years until returning to Sharon, Pennsylvania in 2014.

He was preceded in death by his parents Howard and Martha Barrick. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Donna May (Easterbrook) Barrick, as well as his three children – daughter, Debra Barrick of Sharon, PA, daughter Diane Mentiply and her husband Ian of Marlborough, MA, and son Scott Barrick and his wife Mary of Sandy Lake, PA. John is also survived by his brother Wayne Barrick and wife Bev, sister Barbara Cote and husband Larry, brother in law Don Easterbrook and wife Pat, brother in law Peter McPherson.  John is survived by 6 grandchildren as well many nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to Family Hospice of Hermitage and Visiting Angels of Hermitage for their compassionate care of John and the family during a very difficult time.

A graveside service will be held on what would have been John's 78th birthday on April 16, 2016 in Fonthill, Ontario, Canada where John's ashes will be buried, followed by a celebration of life where we'll toast a life well lived! Further details will be provided to family and friends. Funeral Arrangements have been entrusted to the J. Bradley McGonigle Funeral Home and Crematory Inc. 1090 E. State St. Sharon .